Welcome Back Counseling Newsletter

The West High School Counseling Department welcomes all new and returning students and families to West High School for the 2023-24 school year. We look forward to a positive and productive year!

For freshmen coming from middle school, we are excited to meet you and help you make a successful transition to West.

We feel that in a large metropolitan high school, it is important to communicate information in a timely and effective manner. This newsletter is intended to give you a summary of important grade-level counseling information which should be useful in making plans and navigating high school, as well as preparing for life after graduation. It is published monthly, so be sure to check the counseling website for the latest edition (or subscribe and get the newsletter delivered right to your inbox!)

If you have specific questions please contact your assigned counselor. Counselor assignments are listed at the bottom of your schedule in Row 10.

Photo Coming Soon!

Ms Anderle (AVID & Van Hise), Ms. Coombs (Regent), Ms. Williams (Highland & Van Hise)

Ms. Glynn (Regent & Ash), Mr. Snyder (Ash), Ms. Alvis (Ash & Van Hise), Ms. Dyer (Highland)

Students needing to meet in-person with their counselor may schedule appointments through their counselor's youcanbookme calendar (found on the West Counseling Website below). Counselor calendars are blocked off the first week of school to assist with schedule changes. After the first full week of school, counselor calendars will be available for student appointments.

Students should attempt to schedule appointments during a study hall or lunch whenever possible.

After booking your appointment, you will receive a confirmation email. Use this email as your pass to come to your appointment.

Welcome to the newest member of the West High School Counseling Department!

Mr. Snyder is the new counselor for the Ash SLC, and here are some fun facts about him!

What did you do prior to coming to West?

I was a middle school counselor at Velma Hamilton, which feeds into West, for seven years. I was a school counselor in Sun Prairie for nine years. I was a substitute teacher in Madison for five years. I taught English in Prague, Czech Republic, for one year. Before that I was a camp counselor and director for the YMCA and MSCR. I attended UW-Madison for my Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and UW-Whitewater for my Master of Science degree in School Counseling.

Favorite Hobbies:

Traveling, hiking, kayaking, playing cards, concerts, sporting events, gardening and reading

What are you looking forward to this year?

I'm excited to see the progression that students make from middle school to high school. I also want to help students prepare for continuing their education, beginning careers and being productive members within their community.

Favorite Books or Movies:

I just finished reading "Brain On Fire" by Susannah Cahalan which was fascinating and terrifying. I really want to see "Oppenheimer" before school starts.

Class schedules will be available in Infinite Campus starting on Monday, August 21st. New Regents will also receive their Smaller Learning Community (SLC) and counselor assignment at that time.

The West counseling team has implemented a new schedule change policy in an attempt to keep changes to a minimum and prioritize students who need technical changes to their schedule.

All schedule change requests must be made via the Schedule Change Request form (available when schedules are released on August 21st.) DO NOT EMAIL YOUR COUNSELOR WITH YOUR REQUEST!

In an attempt to streamline the ID and yearbook picture process while the building is still closed, Lifetouch will be taking pictures of West students at Hamilton Middle School. Hamilton is located at 4801 Waukesha Street, and students should enter through door 7.

If you are unable to make your allotted time per your last name, it is okay to come during a different time slot, but please be mindful and stick with your time if you are able to prevent the lines from getting too long.

If you purchased the athletic pass during online enrollment, please have your receipt printed or saved electronically so this can be added to your ID.

If you have any questions, reach out to Kirsten Johnson at ksjohnson@madison.k12.wi.us or 608-204-4116.

We look forward to welcoming our West High School Freshman Class of 2027 to Freshman Orientation Day on Friday, September 1st. (Grade 10-12 students will start school on Tuesday, September 5th.)

On this day, students will get a tour of the school, walk their schedule, try their locker, learn more about the school year, sign up for clubs and extracurricular activities, and meet peers!

Stay tuned for more detailed information later on in August.

This year all Madison Metro buses will again use Regent Street for drop off and pick up. Only specialized transportation vans will use Van Hise Street.

The schedule for the Metro school supplemental ‘W-routes’ can be viewed at this link.

Students can purchase Metro bus passes at this link. District-provided Metro passes are available for students who:

1-Reside within the boundaries of the school attendance area

2-Reside more than one and one-half (1.5) miles from their attendance area school.

3-Have demonstrable financial need, including qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Students who qualify for a district-provided bus pass will be able to pick them up at West during the first week of school and will be allowed to ride for free until bus passes are distributed.

12th graders will receive their progress toward graduation letters (credit checks) soon from their counselor which outline which (if any) graduation requirements they need to complete this school year in order to meet MMSD graduation requirements. Reach out to your counselor with any questions.

As a reminder for students in all grades, transcripts are viewable in Infinite Campus and should be verified after each semester for accuracy.

Attending a rep visit session is a great way for students to meet face to face with the colleges/universities, special programs and career opportunities they are interested in.

All visits are held in the new College & Career Center. Students will be asked to sign in upon arrival for a college visit and attendance will be updated by the end of each day.

We have many schools lined up already for fall visits. See the full calendar below. Remember to check back often for updates as we continually schedule rep visits throughout the school year.

Stay tuned for more details about these upcoming events!

Senior Workshops during lunch (specialized topics on college application components)

College Essay Support offered in October

Career Panels

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has typically been available on October 1. Due to changes to the FAFSA this year, FAFSA will not be available to students until December.

More information regarding FAFSA changes and timelines can be found at this link.

For many years, several UW campuses charged application fees. However, during 2020-2023, all UW campuses except UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse and UW-Madison waived their application fees. As part of the annual review of fees, a new application fee structure will go into effect for Freshman and Transfer applicants who apply to enroll in Fall 2024 using the UW System Application for Admission.

The following campuses will charge an application fee for every application submitted: UW-Eau Claire ($25), UW-La Crosse ($25), and UW-Madison ($70).

For the other campuses, students may submit up to three applications for free to either the main campus or branch campus. After that, students will be charged $25 per application. Note: UW-Stevens Point and UW-Whitewater allow students to apply to both their main campuses and branch campuses. Doing so will incur the same fee as applying to any single campus within that university.

More information can be found on the UW HELP FAQ page under the "Application Fees" section: uwhelp.wisconsin.edu/faqs

Register for a live demonstration of the UW System Application for Fall 2024 and walk through the application as a new freshman applicant. Learn how to create an account, list course information, and more!

• Wednesday, August 30 at 3:00 PM - Register Here

https://wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_f_7nLpHUReOsEyhgeKQkxQ

• Thursday, September 28 at 4:30 PM - Register Here

https://wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-nAg-6S0QSCw4AtMWDe4rg

Join UW HELP for a live demonstration of the UW Journey app! Learn how students can use UW Journey to determine which UW campuses are their best fit based on their interests and preferences. Registration is required.

• Thursday, August 31 at 3:00 PM - Register Here

https://wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SbEIbkOHTjOmBwEHee-Dow

• Friday, September 29 at 4:00 PM - Register Here

https://wisconsin-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__hrGxC8FTICZE9wbN1cXsg

Check out the following free BigFuture tools to guide you on your college-going journey:

College Search—Exploration tool for students as they research colleges based on such preferences as location, majors, type, and campus life.

Scholarship Search—Matches students to scholarships based on the student’s background, achievements, and future plans.

College Board Opportunity Scholarships—Guides juniors and seniors through college planning steps with chances to earn money for college. No application or essay. No GPA or test score minimum. No citizenship requirement.

Student Search Service—The way thousands of colleges and scholarships connect with more than five million students. Students can opt in online or when registering for a College Board assessment to receive information from colleges and scholarship organizations.

Career Finder™—Career exploration tool that helps students make informed academic and career decisions based on what truly drives them and connects them to compatible schools.

Note: Students will use their College Board accounts to access all these free tools. Go here to create a free College Board account

ACT & SAT Test Scores

If you need to submit test scores to your college or university, it is the student's responsibility to have the appropriate test scores (i.e., ACT or SAT ) sent directly from the testing service to colleges. West High will not send test scores. Most colleges (including UW System Schools) require that your score be sent to the admissions office directly from the ACT or SAT testing company. You can request that your scores be sent when you register for an ACT or SAT by filling in the appropriate college codes. If you took the ACT or SAT as a junior but did not send your scores to colleges at that time, you now need to go online or call the testing company to have your scores sent for an additional fee. (ACT 319-337-1270; SAT 866-756-7346).

Many colleges and universities have continued test-optional admissions for the 2023-24 application season. Please check individual school websites for the latest update on their test policy. Students who wish to take the ACT or SAT can register on their own through the test agency's website and search for nearby test locations that are offering testing on their preferred date.

WEST High School Transcripts are ordered and delivered electronically (online). The Madison Metropolitan School District has joined the Wisconsin e-transcript initiative to bring you a quick, confidential, and paperless way to send your transcripts directly to colleges, the NCAA, the Common Application and other destinations of your choice.

It is the student's responsibility to order/send transcripts.

School Counselors do not send student transcripts.

Transcripts can also be viewed in Infinite Campus under the "Documents" tab, scroll down to "Transcript by Grade".

If you are interested in taking a college course in Spring 2024 through MMSD’s Early College Credit/Start College Now programs, be sure to visit the program’s website HERE for important information about the application process.

Start College Now (SCN) allows current students in grades 11 and 12 the opportunity to take college courses at Wisconsin Technical Colleges in the Fall or Spring terms.

The Early College Credit Program (ECCP) allows high school students (please note that most participating universities have restrictions for students in grade 10 or lower) the opportunity to take college courses at Wisconsin public (University of Wisconsin) and private universities in the Fall, Spring or Summer terms.

Applications for the Spring 2024 term are due to your school counselor by October 1, 2023.

The application process involves multiple steps, but begins with the student completing the application for MMSD approval. Please visit the ECCP website for links to the application. MMSD approval does not mean course approval by the college. Each college/university has its own process which may vary, though most require an additional online application. MMSD decisions are communicated to a student’s MMSD email address. If approved, students will receive information about next steps in the process. Please see your school counselor with any questions.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to students in their final year of high school for their capacity to lead and serve, and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. The 2024 application deadline for students graduating during the 2023-24 academic year is October 2, 2023.

A message for student athletes from NCAA: As we head into a new school year, please encourage any student-athletes wanting to play sports in college to create an EC account at eligibilitycenter.org . Incoming freshman and undecided student-athletes may want to register for a free Profile Page account. These accounts can be transferred to paid a Certification account at any time. Profile Page account registrants also get an NCAA ID and important reminders from the EC as they complete high school.

Any student-athletes planning to compete at an NCAA Division I or II school need to create a Certification account.

Click here to learn more about which account is right for you.

The 2023-24 Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete is now available for download! The guide is designed to assist students with understanding the NCAA, NCAA Eligibility Center registration and academic requirements, and how student-athletes can work toward their collegiate dreams.

The PDF version is available via the High School Portal's Resources page or click here to download.

New! Eligibility Center YouTube Channel

The Eligibility Center is now on YouTube! Our channel includes helpful videos that walk your student-athletes through their questions.

Due to construction, many of our lockers will be out of commission for the 2023-2024 school year. For that reason, all current locker assignments will be ended, and 10th-12th grade students can request a locker using this form. All 9th graders will automatically be assigned a locker and do not need to request one on the form. All students with an assigned locker will be emailed their assignment and combination the week school begins. Depending on interest, students may have a locker partner.